About FCS
The FCS Mission
The mission of Friends Community School is to nurture young people to be life-long learners, courageous risk takers, and joyous peacemakers; to discover that of God within themselves and others; and to reach their fullest potential as individuals and as contributing members of society.
It is a fundamental belief of the Religious Society of Friends that there is that of God in every person - that which knows right, is loving, honest, and has tremendous potential. Quakers believe that this Divine Source is accessible to everyone. We encourage the children to be in touch with their Source. We affirm each individual's worth and believe that such affirmation helps children express more fully their special gifts.
We are dedicated to encouraging an atmosphere of tolerance and cooperation. We emphasize the Quaker values of equality, honesty, simplicity, community service, cooperation, and non-violence.
The FCS Philosophy
Friends Community School is dedicated to creating a community of children and adults engaged together in a joyful process of discovery, inquiry and appreciation. We place equal emphasis on the social, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, creative and physical development of each child.
In keeping with the Quaker ideals that form the foundation of our school, we are deeply concerned with nurturing each child in a holistic way. We recognize that children learn and grow at different rates and we support them in their learning at individual levels, from mastery of basic skills to higher order thinking. To help each childÕs growth, we integrate individual responsibility and choice-making into the learning process.
Our general goals for the children are that they:
- be active participants in their own learning, through exploration of home, school and community;
- acquire all the skills necessary to enhance their interaction with the world, including both academic and practical life skills;
- have the courage to take risks without worrying about failure;
- develop a positive self-image;
- feel a sense of responsibility for contributing to their world;
- respect and appreciate people's individual differences;
- strive to be peace-makers; and
- acquire a life-long love of learning.